Box Car Building -1400 Porter

**BVos** · September-17-09, 06:13 PM

Hey all,

Wondering if anyone knows the scoop on this interesting building at 1400 Porter, near Trumbull. It's a nondescript building with a box car attached to it.

See pics attached.

**Rocko** · September-17-09, 06:16 PM

I have no idea but I'm surprised it's never been brought up here before, it's news to me! I know what I'm going to detour past on my next trip downtown!

**gnome** · September-17-09, 06:19 PM

It was called the Porter St Saloon. It is owned by your chief of police, Warren Evans, the building was raided about three years ago for hosting after hours/gambling/underage drinking.

**gazhekwe** · September-17-09, 06:28 PM

It was a popular state employee, Teamsters and IBEW lunch place during the 70s-90s, fell on hard times after the state building closed in 2001, and changed hands a time or two.

**eastland** · September-17-09, 08:25 PM

My wife and I went their for our first date on Opening Day '83. Some rich drunk guy bought us drinks all night. The Detroit Jaycees used to have our meetings in the box car.

**detroitsgwenivere** · September-17-09, 09:21 PM

I know that a few months ago, a club owner from Pontiac was in negotiations with Warren Evans to purchase or develop the property. He applied for a liquor and cabaret/dancehall license and had to go up infront of the zoning board. Kym Worthy was supposed to attend, but I don't know what the outcome of this was. Recently I saw the property up for sale through Jim Sorros Realestate, and a "private club" license has been applied for regarding the address. Naturally, the neighbors are upset and Corktown Residents Council has been keeping an eye on developments.

**Switchmanjim** · September-17-09, 09:44 PM

I remember the inside of this place...Railroad memorabilia all around. A great juke-box, with ELO's "Showdown" being played what seemed like every 15 minutes.
The bartender, Ed was good at his job. A good guy.

**1KielsonDrive** · September-18-09, 08:43 PM

It was the 'Porter Street Station' and was owned by a few poeple, mostly John, I'm forgetting his last name, Italian guy. He was the majority owner and operator. Nice guy, nice owner and fun to work for from what my employees who worked for him had to say. It was a hot spot back in the days when the Lions played at Tiger Stadium and for years afterward. As previous poster said, the IBEW, lunchers and after work crowd kept it busy. It's had a shakey time the last few years - opened and closed. I'll post his name when I remember it. He also owned a few other joints around town. One was in the Fairlane Towers off of Southfield and Ford Roads by the Glass House.

**Meddle** · September-18-09, 10:40 PM

Spent quite a bit of time in Porter Street. It was OK in the 80's, don't know what happened after that. Good food from what I remember. Big hangout for DFD and DPD also as well as ATF and DEA.

Can't imagine why the neighbors would have their panties in a wad over a liquor license, the place was always a bar.

The railroad car was a banquet room for private parties. Also used for overflow seating for the restaurant on busy nights.

**rustic** · September-19-09, 01:19 AM

BV, Porter Street Station was pretty much as previous posters described. In its prime it was a bit pricey [[to eat there) and it could get really crowded at times, and not just before Tiger games but also the weekday lunch crowd would sometimes be packed in spite of the weird location.

**Gsgeorge** · September-19-09, 01:44 AM

FYI.... I live nearby, and have seen a lot of activity at the Porter St. Saloon lately. I have a feeling Evans is opening it up to his friends & benefactors for dinners and the like. The parking lot was packed about a week ago, and a week before that I saw what looked like crews moving buckets and wood in and out...

Personally I'd like to see it reopened... detroitsgwenivere mentions the neighbors are upset, but this is one neighbor that welcomes any new or reopened businesses in his neighborhood, especially ones he can walk down the street and grab a meal or beer at...

**detroitsgwenivere** · September-19-09, 04:09 PM

Yeah, the neighbors were so upset that an emergency safety meeting was called. I'm told that the station was used as an after hours, and Evans was forced to raid his own property in order to keep the courts at bay. Corktowners expressed their absolute horror when they were told that the business would continue as a "hip-hop venue." They say that they would "approve" of a restaurant, or a hall, but they envision some den of sin, raping and pilaging Corktown and burning the neighborhood to the ground. Really, they want more control over the kind of businesses that occupy the area, and I think if they had their way, would have the property razed altogether.

**Rocko** · September-19-09, 04:45 PM

Anyone know any history of that boxcar? I might take a spin by there this next week and see if I can spot any railroad details.

**Switchmanjim** · September-19-09, 05:06 PM

I think I may have switched it a few times before it was derailed...

**FlyingJ** · September-19-09, 05:40 PM

Boxcar #'s? I'll bet the reporting #'s were painted over a llooonnngg time ago. I took a trip down Route 66 & in the middle of nowhere in New Mexico there was a string of 10-15 abandoned vintage boxcars aligned in a row...like they derailed & the wrecking crew just pulled em off the mainline, emptied & abandoned them in the 50's-judging by the paint schemes

Though I was amused to see a theme motel made of railroad passenger cars we stayed @ as a child in Sioux Falls[[the desk clerk was watching Lou Gordon) wound up out here as a theme restaurant called "The Golden Spike" before being turned into an office complex a few blocks from "Eden East"

**preserve** · September-19-09, 05:52 PM

Not upset about a restaurant/bar - upset that it would be an
afterhours type venue, with loud music - it is a neighborhood
and inappropriate behaviour, like when it was raided a few years back are what has people upset.

**Gsgeorge** · September-19-09, 06:50 PM

I agree that loudness would be most unwelcome in our quiet corner of Detroit. Hopeflully it can reopen as a legit business with Evans having a stake in it... I can't see him letting any crazy behavior go on there while serving as Sheriff.

**detroitsgwenivere** · September-19-09, 07:40 PM

I would certainly hope so, but I'm told that numerous complaints were made about the place to DPD and Evans, but nothing happened until the courts got invovled. This was around the time the crackdown started on afterhours after Proof was killed in one. I can't help but think, though, that folks around here are upset not because of noise, but because of the type of people that the business will attract. Let's face it, Hoot's lounge didn't bother anyone until the color scheme changed. Just my opinion though. Im sort of a believer in "It's my property and if it's legal..." My suggestion was to petition the planning commission to rezone the property if it bothered them so much.

**Gsgeorge** · September-20-09, 01:43 AM

Just checked with some sources, it looks like the place is being prepped to be reopened as a techno club. A certain figure of prominence in the early days of Detroit techno is spearheading.

Thanks for the recent development info gwen. I hope that place is soundproofed pretty good if this all ends up going through...

**BVos** · September-21-09, 10:40 PM

Thanks all for the info. As a NW Detroiter now and someone who grew up on the Eastside, that was a building I stumbled across recently that I had never seen or heard of before.

Rustic, are you the same rustic from days of old?

**rustic** · September-22-09, 01:17 AM

BVos, yeah it's the same guy. I'm still around. I've been mostly lurking the last few years. I hope things are going well with you.

**BVos** · September-23-09, 08:28 PM

Glad to see you back. I've been lurking for a while too and just recently got back into posting. Seems that the quality of postings goes through cycles on DetYES.

Things are going OK for me. Shoot me an email at bvos1 at sbcglobal dot net and I'll update you on a few things off the board.